Player-piano



, J. W. WEISER.

PLAYER PIANO.

APPLICAT'lON FILED JULY 10.1919.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

{T all whom it may concern Bert knownthat I, FRANK UNITED STATES ATENT 0mm MK J. wnrsnn, or nnmnunsr, more.

'ELAYER-ZPIANO.

Epccification of Leaas'm t. Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

kppihaizion duly 10, 1919. Serial No. 809,827. 7

reference being had therein to the. accom panying draw ng.

My invention relates to player pianos, its

- object being to provide a flexible spring contact attached to the action sticker and to be struck by the striker rod when the player mcumatic operates, whereby the player achung tion is not subjected to sudden. stress or blows and the stroke of the hammers on the strings 1S easier and more like that resulting from the human touch on the keys and the parts controlling the action of the pneumatic on the stickers are in view above the pneumatic and in front of player action.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and than pointed out 1 In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a playenpiano action equipped with my invention, the parts being in their position of rest and portions of the piano action frame being insection; I

Fig. 2 is a slmllar View with the-partsrn their position of action and Fig, 3 US a detail View; a f

In the drawings the numerals .5 and-6 in dictate usual longitudinal rails of the piano action frame, 7 the customary wi pen piv'.

otally hung at its rear end by the ange 8 to the rail 5, and 9 the usual wooden sticker pivotally connected at its upper end as at 10 to. the associated. wipp'en 7 and pivotally is pivotally attached to the rail 6. The wippen' is provided with the upper bracket 12 to which the lower end of the associated 13' is pivoted, the oil'set heel 1-1 of the.

jack jack being engaged by the coil spring 15 seated-on the wippen and reacting between these parts. Theupper end of the jack opcrates upon thefassociated hammer 16 which outer end connect is pivoted at its butt .to the rail 5 in the usualmanner, and carries t customary cushioned'bumper 1?.which I struck by the corresponding cushioned ba ried on the associated 7 g the hammer butt has the us *ri lo tape 19 whose to the bridle wireQO.

strikes the string S.

at its lower end to the link 11- which heck 18 car- The ,blockerrail 21 eirtends across the front ends of the wippen's, and the regulating rail 22 extends across the heels of the jacks.

The parts so far described constitute the usual parts of aregular piano action, it'being understood that when the sticker 9 is raised by the stroke of the associated key (not shown) the head of the hammer 16 The player pneumatic 23 carries the striker--rod having an adgustable screw cap 24. which passes freely through the guide 25. A flexible-spring contact is secured to the sticker 9 in the path of the cap and is adapted to be raised by it when the pneu? matic 23 collapses. In the present form this contact is formed by a strip of fleziiblespring metal whose attaching body 26- is secured to the sticker above the pneumatic and whose projecting arm 27 overlies the cap. The body 26 may be attached to the sticker by the pair of screws 28 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or by bending its'low'e'r end to fit in a 'kerf in the sticker and using a single screw as shown in Fig. 3'; in any case the body 26 preferably is outwardly curved or bowed between its points of connection with the sticker to prevent its loosening and the screw from rattling as the flexibility of its how compensates or takes upthe'expansion and contraction of 'the wood of the sticker as'the latter expands or contracts undervarying conditions of heat and cold.

lVhen the player pneumatic colla in its operation the cap presses upon an raises the. flexible spring arm and operates the piano action to cause the hammer to strike its string. The flexible spring arm cushions the sudden stress or blow of the cap on the piano action and its flexibility re -lie"es the action from the jar and shock of the stroke and transmits the stroke ofthe;

screw gradually and with a flexibleyor springy action or contact similar to the flexible or springy touch of the fingers on parts between the p ers' are accessible an enigmatic and the stickin plain view-from the front of the device and, above the pneumatic,

ofsiglit of the mechanic, and so the regulation'of the action of the pneumatic on the stickers is positive and accurate,.and also 'can bejaccomplished Without "varying the positions'or tensions of the spring arms so that uniforrri and equalspring'action of th arms on the stickers is assured.

I claim: Y 1 I 1 Ina player piano, a piano action including a hammer and its operating sticker, a player pneumatic having an adjustable eluding a hammer the cap located in front of the sticker and. above and a contact consisting cfa flange attached to the front side of the flexible spring arranged above the path of'the cap.

the pneumatic,

sticker and a the pneumatic and in 2. In 'a -playe'r iano, a piano action inand its operating sticker, a player pneumatic having Jan adjustable cap located in front of the sticker and above pneumatic, and a contact arranged above the pneumatic consisting of an'outwardly bowed spring body fixed to the front of the sticker arm projecting forwardly from the body into the path of the cap.

In testimony hereofI aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J. Wu WEISER. Witnesses:

J. MCROBERTS, NATHAN sH-ARPE.

at'each side of its bow and a spring a 

